The Many Faces of Phagocytes
Most of us were introduced to phagocytosis as a cellular event where dead host cells, microbial cells or their components, or other foreign bodies are engulfed and often destroyed by specialized...
Macrophages and Microglia – Same but Different!
For anyone who has studied biology, macrophages have most likely been on your reading list at one point or another. Microglia on the other hand are less likely to feature on your undergraduate...
Mesenchymal Stem Cells – a Short Introduction
Anyone who follows popular science news will have noticed that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have gained traction in recent years. Alleviating chronic back pain, enabling stroke sufferers to walk...
The Lowdown on Retinal Pigment Epithelium
Have you heard of the retinal pigment epithelium? Well, the retinal pigment epithelium (or RPE) is located at the interface between the light-sensitive outer parts of the visual cells...
Moving Beyond Animals: Advanced Skin Models for R&D
Nature defines skin models as “experimental systems that recreate aspects of human skin physiology, function, or disease”. Skin models include in vitro models, ex vivo cultures, and animal models....
What are motor neurons?
You’re in a bakery full of delicious treats. After a lot of soul-searching, you set your heart on a pecan danish. You reach for your wallet. But wait - how did you go from deciding how wanted your...
Calling a Blossom, an Orange: Neural Stem Cells and Progenitor Cells
What are neural progenitor cells? Where are they found in the brain and spinal cord? Neural stem cells (NSCs) are a type of multipotent stem cells that originate in the Central Nervous System (CNS,...
The Liver: why yours is so important and so awesome
Take your right hand and place your palm over your belly button. Move about three-four inches to the right and then upwards until you feel your ribs under your index finger. Right hand, say "hello"...
Our Gleeful Glia: An Introduction to Macroglia and Microglia
Neuroglia, glial cells or, to their family and friends, simply glia are the connective tissue cells of nervous system. The term "glia" comes from the Greek for glue. However, the old axiom that...